Page 20 of Defying the Relic Hunter

“Shhh. Shhh. You’re safe. You’re safe,” Ethan murmured, wiping away my tears.

I opened my eyes and stared into his concerned gaze. “Am I?”

“Your history is as unique as your talents,” Zarek commented.

“Unique?” I rubbed my aching head and tried to get my churning emotions under control. “I’m a freak who can talk to the dead. My clan had little use for me.”

“You’re part of the Coletti family now. We take care of our own,” Ethan assured me.

I frowned. “So, you’re like adopting me?”

“We are,” Zarek said.

“Do I get a say in this?”

“No,” Ethan said firmly.

I felt Zarek touch my mind again and my headache vanished.

“You were too young to draw that much power and the overload damaged your synapses.”

“The monsters were killing my mother. I wasn’t going to stand by and let that happen. If I lost my powers, so be it,” I retorted.

“Not lost but diminished. I was able to heal some of the damage,” Zarek replied.

I frowned. I didn’t feel any different. “Ah, thanks. What’s it gonna cost me?”

“You and Ethan will find Montezuma’s treasure.”

“Do I have a choice?”

Zarek’s smile was the scariest thing I had ever seen. “No.”

That’s when I realized not only was the Apache gone, but so was the amulet, my bracelet and weapons. I also had a funny metallic taste in my mouth like I had been sucking down blood. My eyes bugged. What the hell was I doing on Ethan’s lap? “You bastard!” I scrambled to my feet. “Mind control is cheating and where’s my bracelet?”

“Voss took it back to the ship to examine it. Your uncle is quite the inventor,” Zarek responded.

“Whoop-de-fucking-do!” I spun around and started walking back to the cave. Once they took apart my bracelet, the clan would be sitting ducks.

Ethan grumbled, “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

“To cross over the dead folk.”

“All by yourself?” He fell in step with me.

“I’m hoping Granny Annabel will pop in to help.”

“And if she doesn’t?”

“I might get dead.”

Ethan grabbed my arm and pulled me to a stop. “No, I won’t allow it.”

“Since I have no way to protect myself, I’m gonna get dead sooner or later.”

“I won’t let anything happen to you,” Ethan snapped.

“Really? You can’t be with me twenty-four seven and some of Giuseppe’s people will blame me and my uncle for his capture. That particular branch of the Dragos clan are big into blood vendettas.” I tried to break free of Ethan’s grip.

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